Valuable Artifacts Research Articles

Orthopyroxene, augite, and plagioclase compositions in dacite: application to bedrock sourcing of lithic artefacts in southern British Columbia

Extremely fine-grained, hypocrystalline, microporphyritic dacite (whole-rock SiO2 = 65–70 oxide wt.%), called "glassy basalt" by archaeologists, was commonly used to manufacture lithic artefacts found in the British Columbia (B.C.) Interior. Geochemical fingerprinting of dacite minerals can help identify the geologic source of these artefacts. Multiple (~300) mineral analyses show that mafic orthopyroxene (En65–80), plagioclase (An30–70), augite (Wo30–45, En40–45, Fs10–15), and olivine (~Fo85) (in that order) represent the most abundant and commonly occurring microphenocrysts. Relative abundances vary among sources. Clustering of averaged mineral data reveals at least five distinct dacite sources for lithic artefacts in the B.C. Interior. Discriminant analysis separates individual mineral analyses according to these five areas with ~ 90% efficiency and provides functions for "sourcing" new artefacts in the future. Two sites represent "quarry" locations and their scope (e.g., geographic area ≥ 4 km2, archaeological stratigraphic depth locally ≥ 2 m at Cache Creek) implies prolonged use and trade. However, fingerprinting suggests that in the B.C. Interior, tools were made from local dacite. Mineral fingerprinting uses small (~0.1 g) samples, which is important when analyzing valuable artefacts. Hypocrystalline, "knappable," microporphyritic dacite is probably common around the Pacific due to Cenozoic subduction. Thus, mineral-based sourcing could have wider application outside of western Canada.

Chemical fingerprinting and source tracing of obsidian: the central Mediterranean trade in black gold.

Chemical fingerprinting using major or trace element composition is used to characterize the Mediterranean island sources of obsidian and can even differentiate as many as nine flows in the Monte Arci region of Sardinia. Analysis of significant numbers of obsidian artifacts from Neolithic sites in the central Mediterranean reveals specific patterns of source exploitation and suggests particular trade mechanisms and routes. The use of techniques such as X-ray fluorescence, the electron microprobe, neutron activation analysis, and laser ablation ICP mass spectrometry are emphasized in order to produce quantitative results while minimizing damage to valuable artifacts.

At Risk: Memories of Cordell Hull and Sergeant York

Will rivalries, buck-passing, and bureaucratic delay deprive tomorrow's Appalachians of some unique history? At Risk: Memories of Cordell Hull and Sergeant York Fred Brown Historians, lovers of antiquities, and others are in shock in Tennessee over news that the homes and artifacts of two of the state's most recognized heroes are in mortal danger of disappearing while the state agencies in charge of preservation twiddle their thumbs in Nero-like indifference. In one case, the Cordell Hull birthplace and museum, near Byrdstown, faces a variety of threats. There is little or no protection from fire or theft. Hordes of insects dine voraciously on the very foundations of the building as well as on the original photographs of the man who served as Secretary of State longer than any other American in history. Not far down the road in a neighboring county along the mighty Cumberland Plateau is the home of Sergeant Alvin York. All of the old soldier's memorabilia are in the home, but the state has failed to install even minimal protection from fire and theft. Dan Webber, director of the state's museums, shakes his head in wonder and says the York home and all of the artifacts from the famous World War I hero are "at risk." The sad story of both historic Appalachian sites is one of neglect by the Tennessee Historic Commission and the State Department of Conservation and Environment. The Historic Commission has been awarded both federal and state funds for the Cordell Hull home. For reasons known only to the commission nothing has been spent for Fred Brown is a staff writer for the Knoxville News-Sentinel. 25 preservation. Similarly, the Conservation Department has had tax dollars appropriated for a number ofyears but has failed to use the funds on the York home. Now the money is no longer in the budget. Three years ago, the state set aside $477,000 to develop the Alvin C. York homesite into a historic landmark worthy of the World War I sergeant's legend and to accommodate the more than 70,000 visitors who come every year. None of that money has been spent, and the message from the Tennessee Department ofFinance and Administration, which pays the bills for the project, is not encouraging. Webber, who oversees the state's museums and interpretative centers, says that something must be done soon. Otherwise, visitors might not find anything to see after they wander up the scenic Wolf River Valley to the bottomlands of Pall Mall. The state has owned the York property—house, gristmill, store, post office and former Bible school—since 1967. Under an agreement with the state government Gracie York, the sergeant's widow, lived at the home until she died in 1984; the state was then supposed to assume complete responsibility for the home. How well has the state lived up to its obligation? Archaeologists and historians cringed in despair recently when the authorities paved the gravel parking lot at the gristmill. Since no study of the area was performed before the asphalt went down, valuable artifacts may have been lost for all time. That isn't the worst horror, however. "Everything Sergeant York owned is in that house," says Dan Webber. "The entire collection is at risk." Though the house's contents are of little monetary value, they hold incalculable historic significance. But the two-story frame house has no fire protection. Fortunately, Andrew Jackson York, one of the sergeant's sons, spends much of his time on the property, as manager of the mill and the house. A strange feature of the situation is that ownership of the contents of the house, according to Webber, isn't clear. Andy York, however, insists that the family has control of the collection. This murky issue holds the house and its contents hostage. The contents cannot be moved or protected by the state if the state does not own them, Webber says: "One thing the state needs to do is to determine finally who owns the contents of the house. That is the first step to be taken. We can't take any of it out [for protection] unless we own...

Urban House Types As A Research Focus In Historical Geography

Historical geographers have begun to explore urban dwellings as valuable artifacts. These vary in character according to location, age, form, style, original purpose, size, and spacing. Style and form indicate the approximate age of buildings. Original purpose, the size, and spacing of dwellings indicate the relative prosperity or social status of the first inhabitants. The status of a building's earliest residents is also reflected by the presence or absence of a once-fashionable facade.

The Archaeological Uses of Cuneiform Documents: Patterns of Occupation at the City of Kish

It may be said for most Mesopotamian excavations that information contained in cuneiform documents has not been fully used to give cultural elaboration to the bare outline derived from architecture, artefacts, etc. In the era of large expeditions, ending in the 1930's, texts would often be collected, turned over to an epigrapher, and published separately from the main archaeological report. Most often, the epigraphic volume would contain little or no information as to the find-spots of the texts. Likewise, tablets with dates would be, and still are being, published with the notation “seal impression” but without a drawing or photograph of the sealing, thus depriving archaeologists of precise means of determining style change, regional variations, etc. Economic texts and other mundane, relatively simple documents are routinely published in hand copy, sometimes transliterated, but almost never translated. In this way, many details of everyday life, reflecting economic and social systems, remain unavailable to the archaeologist or non-philologist who would find the information extremely interesting and useful. In short, once inscribed material is given over to the epigrapher, the archaeologist seldom refers to it again other than to date a particular level, or identify his site. Rarely are tablets studied by the archaeologist as the most valuable artefact in relation to other artefacts. Likewise, the epigrapher loses the valuable information on context in the interpretation of his texts.In this article, I hope to demonstrate that much information can be derived by the archaeologist from texts even without detailed content analysis. He need know only the date, the subject or class, and the locus of tablets in order to have at hand an extremely useful tool to refine judgments made on the basis of pottery and other objects. Such information also allows checks to be made on archaeologically derived hypotheses dealing with the function of various parts of a site.